Ethnographic Interventions: A Strategy and Experiments in Mapping Sociospatial Practices

Author:

Mounajjed, Nadia; Peng, Chengzhi; Walker, Stephen

Abstract:

A growing awareness exists of the possibilities of architectural research adopting
working methods used by artists. Many artists have adapted ethnographic methodologies to
map site specificity and issues related to community and sociospatial practices. This paper
draws on related examples of art practice to formulate a specific research strategy:
ethnographic intervention. Ethnographic intervention has three characteristics: (a)
ethnographic mapping of spatial practices on site, (b) the possibility of a horizontal replication
of the study, and (c) an intervention protocol. We define ethnographic mapping as a critical
process directed towards a specific cultural, social, or architectural situation. This involves representing
the situation through observing, documenting, videorecording, and photography.
We explore the necessity of horizontal replication for producing reliable studies. Finally, we
discuss the development of a multi-stage intervention protocol as a creative and flexible
instrument, involving design and preparation, data collection, interpretation, and narration.
Three case studies illustrate how this strategy has been conceived, applied, and developed at
architectural sites. The article concludes with a discussion of the outcomes, usefulness, and
possible applications of this strategy in other disciplines.
...

Publisher:

University of Jyväskylä, Agora Center

Date:

2007

Belongs to series:

Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments